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VINCISGRASSI - Special Lasagna

1The Marches

Cook: Several hours; difficult

Serves 8

A dish from the Marches with an odd name. Vincisgrassi is the Italianization of the name of

the Austrian general, Prince Windischgratz, who was commander of the Austrian Forces

stationed in the Marches. The dish was allegedly created for the prince by a local chef.

INGREDIENTS: THE SAUCE

y 5 TBSP buttery 2 oz prosciutto, choppedy 1 medium onion, cut in halfy 1 medium carrot, cut in halfy 9 oz fresh chicken livers, cleaned and cut into small piecesy 1/3 cup dry white winey 1 TBSP tomato paste dissolved iny 1/2 cup warm beef or chicken stocky 9 oz calf's brain and sweetbreads, cleaned and blanchedy 1 thick slice of lemony salty 2/3 oz dried porciniy 4 oz cultivated mushroomsy 1 garlic clove, squashedy 2 TBSP olive oily 1/2 cup whole milky 1/2

tsp freshly ground nutmegy 1/4 tsp ground cinnamony salt and freshly ground black pepper

THE LASAGNE

y 31/2 cups all-purpose floury 1 cup plus 11/2 TBSP semolinay 4 eggsy 3 TBSP butter at room temperaturey 1/4 cup vin santo or medium-dry sherryy 1 tsp salty

bchamel sauce made with1/2

cup butter,3/4

cup flour and4

1/3

cups milky salt and freshly ground white peppery 2 TBSP buttery 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Medium sauce pan; mixing bowls; oven proof baking dish.

METHOD:

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1. Put the butter, prosciutto, onion and carrot in a saucepan over a medium heat and brownthe vegetables Remove the pan from the heat, lift out the vegetables and discard.

2. Fry the chicken livers in the saucepan with the prosciutto for1 minute, stirring constantly.Pour over the wine and reduce briskly until it has evaporated. Add the tomato pastedissolved in the stock, mix well and bring the sauce to the boil. Lower the heat and

simmer very gently for11/2 hours. Add a little water during the cooking if the liquid

dries out.

3. Simmer the brain in water with the lemon for 5 minutes. Drain and refresh. Meanwhile,soak the dried porcini in 1/4 cup warm water for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.Clean and slice the fresh mushrooms. Saut them with the garlic in the olive oil for 5

minutes. Remove the garlic and discard.

4. Strain the porcini liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels. Slice theporcini and put them, together with the fresh mushrooms and the porcini liquid, into thechicken liver sauce after the sauce has been cooking for1 hour. Cut the brain andsweetbread into small pieces and add to the sauce with the milk, nutmeg and cinnamon.

5. Taste, check seasonings and continue cooling.6. Make thebchamel sauce, and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming.7. To make the lasagne, mix the flour and the semolina on a work surface, make a well in

the center and drop in the eggs, the softened butter, the vin santo and a little salt. Mix and

knead following the instructions forhomemade pasta.

8. Butter a lasagne pan 11 x 8 inches. Cut the pasta into strips the same length as the dishand about 4 inches wide. Cook 3 or4 lasagne at a time in plenty of salted boiling water towhich 1 TBSP oil has been added.

9. Spread 3 TBSP bchamel over the bottom of the dish and then cover with a layer oflasagne. Spoon over 3 or4 spoons of the chicken liver and mushroom sauce and the same

amount of bchamel Cover with another layer of lasagne and repeat until all theingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of lasagne and bchamel.

10.Allow to stand for at least 4 hours for all the flavors to combine and then bake in apreheated oven (400 degrees F) for about 25 minutes.

11.Melt the butter and pour over the vincisgrassi. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and leaveoutside the oven for about 5 minutes before serving.

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